


Well Arranged

by HimereCalliope



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, The Arrangement (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HimereCalliope/pseuds/HimereCalliope
Summary: “Very prettily done, Angel.”
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Well Arranged

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cupidsbow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupidsbow/gifts).



> Canon-compliant: shippy if you read the show as shippy, gen if you don't.

# Well Arranged 

_(The construction site of a future cathedral, currently half-built. There’s no roof yet. The wooden scaffolds draw dark lines against the star-speckled night sky. An Angel of the Lord is standing on the triforium, gazing slightly guiltily down into the future nave. A Demon of the Infernal Depths – though one who prefers to think of himself as currently based in London – lurks in the shadows of some hastily-arranged construction equipment behind him.)_

“ _Very_ prettily done, Angel.” 

_(The Angel jumps, and then pretends he didn’t.)_

“Crowley! How long have you been lurking there?” 

“Long enough.” 

“Well, what’s the point of _that_?” _(The Angel is possibly a little bit testy at having let himself be caught unawares.)_ “Why am _I_ –” _(He looks around hastily, then lowers his voice to a hiss.)_ “Why am _I_ doing your t– your _tasks_ if you’re not even taking the time to… be elsewhere?”

“Because it’s fun?” 

_(The Angel looks outraged. The Demon relents immediately.)_

“Or because, by taking over this one little temptation, you have prevented all the far more foul and unspeakable deeds I would surely have done here, and so thwarted the wiles of a nefarious demon yet again?” 

“Well.” _(The Angel sniffs delicately. The Demon grins.)_

“Showed him visions of grandeur, did you?” 

_(The Angel ruffles his not-currently-corporeal feathers ever so slightly.)_ “I simply showed him what kind of awe and divine exaltation a more august construction might possibly inspire in God’s servants.”

“And also what _earthly_ exaltation his prominence as the one who constructed it might inspire?”

“ _Those_ were entirely his own thoughts. Absolutely none of my doing, I assure you.” 

“Of course, of course. But…”

“Yes?” 

“He’s going to try to make it at least twice as grandiose now, isn’t he?” 

“I think so, yes.” 

“That’s going to cost a pretty penny.”

“I expect so.” 

“And that means debts that’ll need paying off. Lots of them. Probably for a good long while after construction is finished.” 

“A small enough sacrifice, surely, to inspire people far and wide with the glory of the Lord.” 

“I wonder how inspired the people less far and wide will be when they start realizing that one way or another, they’ll be the ones paying for it? They always are. And it doesn’t tend to make them happier, better people.”

“Well.” 

“And of course, as long as the building is burdened by debt, it can’t be consecrated.” 

“That’s hardly uncommon. It will of course be blessed and used for worship regardless.” 

“But not _consecrated_. Not truly given to the Lord.” 

“…No.” 

“Mm. Very good work, Angel.” 

_(The Angel looks uncomfortable. The Demon smiles in what he imagines to be a knowing way, but which actually looks far more like indulgence.)_ “Well, very _nice_ work, then, anyway. Breakfast?”

“What?”

_(The Demon gestures casually at the sky, which promptly shows the first hints of slowly lightening.)_ “Nearly morning. And I discovered a great little bakery the other week that has the best breakfast in town for early risers. My treat. As a little th–” 

“Crowley!” _(For a Being of Peace and Serenity, it’s a surprisingly alarmed hiss.)_

“…A little _thoughtfulness_ and generosity on my part, for absolutely no reason in particular.”

“Well then.” _(The Angel looks like he wants just a last little bit of convincing. For appearances sake, of course.)_

“Shall we?” 

_(The Demon offers the Angel his arm.)_

_(The Angel smiles warmly at the Demon.)_

_(The future cathedral continues to stand exactly as it has been, though it is now not even one quarter finished. Such is the nature of arrangements.)_


End file.
